I agree completely with ColinsMum.
If your mom-gut tells you that your child is "smarter than the average bear," then he probably is. Moms are usually right. If you're not drilling him on his letters and he learned them by 14 months, then he's probably gifted.
FWIW, I had a sense by 8 months that I was dealing with an unusual child. He used logic to reason things out, and I was fairly sure that wasn't normal. So, yes, I think you can see signs early. Testing is squirrely at too young an age, so if you don't need test scores for some particular purpose like school admission, I wouldn't bother.
Does it matter that your child is a gifted toddler/preschooler? Not much. Daycare/preschool options might require a bit more research from you than a normally developing child's parents might need to devote, since academics can be torture for a 3yo child who already knows what's being taught. But otherwise, follow your child's lead, answer questions, go fun places, and enjoy!
